


Return my Love: Epilouge

by Pcyqo



Series: Return my Love [2]
Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hanahaki Disease, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 10:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18798415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pcyqo/pseuds/Pcyqo
Summary: It is said that a certain disease is born from unrequited love. The victim's lungs and throat will fill up with petals and eventually, the victim will cough them up. If the disease is left untreated, then the victim will inevitably choke on these petals and die. However, the only two ways the disease can be cured is if the person returns the same feeling or if surgery is performed. A consequence of the surgery, however, is that the victim will lose their feelings. This is Hanahaki Disease. However, does the victim truly lose their feelings for that person?





	Return my Love: Epilouge

**Author's Note:**

> So glad I got to share this story! As a RikoYou shipper, I have so many ideas I never write down. Thank you so much for reading!

Love is truly a complex formula. It needs a perfect blend of desire, friendship, envy, hate, jealousy and much more elements we have yet to discover. Yet, love is so basic on paper. Love is a deep feeling of affection.

The girl with ashen-hair looked around. The wind carried a perfect blend of bitter-sweet cherry blossoms with a fresh scent of leaf sprouting trees. As the wind blew her hair forward, the ashen pushed it behind her ears. She admired the beautiful azure skies that sheltered fluffy clouds slowly drifting throughout the atmosphere. It was a breathtaking sight, considering she had been in the hospital for a few days. She had just been discharged from the hospital after a procedure was done on her. Somehow, she had no recollection of this "condition" she had nor did she recall any symptoms of it. She sighed. What was even more mysterious was the wine-red haired girl sitting next to her bed when she woke up. She didn't understand anything the girl said. It was all a blur to You.

 

A few days ago, when You had awoken from her surgery, she had recognized her surroundings as a hospital. However, there was something out of place. It was a certain wine-red haired girl sitting on a chair next to her bed. She did not seem to be much older or younger than You herself. She wore an Uranohoshi uniform with a red ribbon, signifying a second-year student. You was perplexed. Uranohoshi had less than 100 students in a year, but You had still memorized most people in her year. Even if You did not remember their name, she would certainly recognize them. However, this girl was a complete mystery to You. She had no idea who this girl was, where she was from and why she was there. Suddenly, the girl shot up and asked if You was okay. You was okay but was quite puzzled about the girl's existence. When You had asked who the girl was, she seemed flustered. The girl had mistakenly thought the question was a joke. It was not, however. When the girl had realized that, she soon started crying. She held out a pink letter, embellished with a heart-shaped sticker, and asked if You recognized it. Of course, You shook her head, and the girl had continued to cry. The girl asked if You had truly forgotten her, and You admitted so. The girl apologized, the reason unbeknownst to You.

After this encounter, someone who seemed to be a doctor and several nurses behind him walked into the room. The group greeted the girl and approached You. They told her that she suffered from Hanahaki disease. They explained how Hanahaki disease usually affects people in their teens, but it can happen to anyone. The cause behind Hanahaki is still unknown, but experts suggest that it is linked to stress. The doctor took a chair and slid it next to the bed and sat in it. He started explaining how You was very lucky to have survived, as she was in stage 4 of Hanahaki. Anyone who reaches stage 4 has a very slim chance for survival, but You fought for that chance. The doctor continued, stating the symptoms of Hanahaki, how the victim would start coughing out flower petals, which suffocated the victim, depriving them of oxygen. You nodded several times, pretending to understand, trying to hide her short attention span. The nurses handed the doctor a clipboard and the latter pulled out a pen. He asked if it was okay to ask You a few questions and the latter agreed. The whole time, the mysterious wine-red haired girl was very anxious. She attempted to suppress her nervousness, but it was very apparent. You paid no mind and focussed on the task on hand. The doctor asked You a bunch of questions, which mostly pertained to her experiences with Hanahaki. Strangely, You had no recollection of this ever happening and the doctor took note. The doctor allowed for You's discharge in a few days and left the room. This left the room with only You and the unknown girl.

A few minutes go by in silence and the girl's bashfulness is soon revealed. She kept fidgeting in her chair and her legs vibrated up and down. It was apparent she was waiting for something. You sighed mentally and decided to take the first move. You called for the girl. The girl jolted up and made eye contact with You. You told the girl to not be so nervous and the girl nodded, but it was quite obvious she was still anxious. You asked the girl for her name, which caused the girl to have a change in expression. You disregarded this and decided to press the girl with more questions. The girl stated her name was Riko Sakurauchi. You then questioned her with questions such as, "do you go to Uranohoshi?", "why are you here?", etc. Riko said she indeed attended Uranohoshi as a second year, but for the second question, she had hesitated. She bit her lip and responded. She said she was here to visit You. You scratched her head. You asked why Riko would visit a total stranger, but this was a cause for more tears. You, startled from the sudden tears, flailed her arms and tried to assure the girl that if she didn't want to answer, she didn't have to. Riko wiped her tears from her eyes and took a big breath. She looked You straight in the eyes and responded, "You-chan, you might not remember, but we are good friends,".

The fact that Riko used the word "are" confused You. You had no memory of this girl. Who was this girl and why did she seem so familiar?

 

You double checked all her things were properly packed and walked off the campus of the hospital. It was Sunday and she had school tomorrow. You sighed, questioning why she had to attend school right when she got out of the hospital. While walking to the bus station, You couldn't help but wonder what Riko meant. You would definitely remember her friends, but You had no recollection of Riko. However, it seemed as if her memories of Riko were close, yet so far. It's like how some words are on the tip of your tongue and you just can't get them out. As she walked to the bus station, she recalled the times she walked with Chika along the same road, to the same bus station. Chika dashed energetically, while You followed, not far behind, as they raced towards the bus station. Luckily the roads were not very populated, so they could race to their heart's content. However, while walking, there was a nagging feeling, tugging against You's heart. Sure, this scene was clearly embedded in You's memories, but there was also something she was missing in this picture. Everything was in place, just that something, perhaps someone, was missing. You's thinking is abruptly ceased as the bus pulls up at the bus station. She hurries onto the bus and takes a seat at the back. She feels her eyes getting heavy and soon falls asleep.

You is awakened by the sudden stop of the bus. The bus driver told You that she had reached her stop. You dashed off, giving a salute to the driver as she hops off. You starts making her way back to her house. There was a strange sense of deja vu. You couldn't count the thousands of times she had gone along this same road. As she happily skipped towards her destination, she had the same feeling tugging at her heart as when was walking to the bus station. You slows down and instead walks. What was this feeling? It was more than deja vu. It was a distant memory she couldn't quite recall. You put her hand on her chin as she slightly moves her head up with her eyes closed. You hummed. You brushed this feeling away as just some extreme deja vu after a long week in the hospital. You continues skipping towards her house.

Once You got to the doorstep of her home, she takes out her keys. There, she notices a peculiar charm on her keychain. It was one of a small ship. As You held it up, letting the sun shine down on it, the charm dangled as the wind blew. You had never seen this charm before and for some reason, it was on her keys. You shrugged and continued on. "It looks pretty cute," You thought. You walks in and shuts the door behind her. You looks down the dark, empty, hall and lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm home,".

You immediately goes upstairs to her room and puts her stuff down. She huffs and throws her body on her bed. She snatches a pillow and starts snuggling it. After a few seconds of laying on her bed, she gets up and starts taking out some papers from her desk. Suddenly, a ring goes off. You looks over and spots her phone turn on. She gets up and snatches her phone from her nightstand. She unlocks her phone and sees two messages from Chika.

> Chika: Yooouuuuu-chaaaaaan!!! You're getting discharged today, right? I'm sooo worried!  
>  Chika: Message me when you're not busy!

As You read the messages, she chuckled. Chika was still the same cheerful, energetic, happy-go-lucky girl. You started tapping away on her device.

> You: Yousoro~! I'm at home right now. I'll see you at school tomorrow.  
>  Chika: Get a good night's rest! See you tomorrow!  
>  You: See you!

When You finished typing, she closed her phone and threw it on her bed. You sits on her chair and stretches her arms outward. You takes a pen and gets started on her homework. As You scribbles on her notebook and worksheets, she fails to notice the crumpled piece of paper on her desk. When she finished, You stretched again and pushed her seat back. She went down, got a glass of water and returned to her room. She sat back in her seat and that was when she noticed it. An unfamiliar piece of paper, laying on her desk. It was crumpled and had scribbles on it. You reached for the crumpled piece of paper and unfolded it. It was a piece of pink paper, with a flower outlining the border of the paper. When You unfolded it, she started reading it.

> _When I saw you for the first time that day, it was love at first sight. I could feel my heart fluttering every time I'm in your presence. My heart goes wild when I see you. I couldn't understand this feeling and kept it hidden inside. But the more you interacted with me, the stronger this feeling was. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I want to let it out and let my feelings reach you..._

The girl's hands held the paper firmly. However, this could not stop her arms shaking. Before she knew, she was crying. Tears streamed out of her eyes. What a mysterious feeling You Watanabe was feeling. There was something grasping at her heart. Weighing it down. You placed her hand on her chest and grasped her shirt. You hadn't realized she stopped breathing and she took a deep breath. " _Why am I crying?_ " You asks herself as she wipes the tears off her eyelids. However, it’s no use. You continues sobbing. “ _T-That’s strange. I-I don’t remember writing this…_ ” You thought. Upon closer inspection, You confirmed that it was, indeed, her own handwriting. “ _W-Wow, whoever wrote this, m-must have really similar handwriting as mine_ ,” You thought to herself as she forced a chuckle. Eventually, You cried herself to sleep, awaiting the next day.

 

A very familiar alarm sound pierced through You’s covers as she slowly turned her body around. You slammed her hand on her alarm clock to stop making it ring. She lazily retracted her arm back into the sheets. You attempted to sleep for a few more minutes, but the alarm has startled her so much that she couldn’t fall back asleep. You grunted as she dragged her heavy body out of bed. You slowly waddled to her bathroom and continued with her daily routine. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. When You wiped down her own face, she noticed how her eyelids were puffed. You sighed. She continued wiping her face until she was satisfied. When You was done, she headed into the kitchen. She looks into her fridge and decides on sandwiches. What kind of sandwiches though? That was the question You Watanabe asked herself. She decided on egg sandwiches. You opened her fridge again and took a few eggs out. She plopped them into a pot of water and turned the burner on. She prepared the bread by cutting the crust off and waiting for the egg to boil. It was strange though. You had never particularly liked egg sandwiches. She hadn’t eaten egg sandwiches in a while. Very strange indeed. She was snapped out of her thinking when the water started boiling. You took a ladle and carefully extracted the boiled eggs out of the water and into a seperate bowl. After a few minutes, she cut the eggs and carefully placed them between the sliced bread.

Once she was done with breakfast, You dashed off to school. Like usual, she was full of energy, always running to wherever she had to be. You jogged to the bus station and got on the bus. She let out a sigh of relief knowing she wouldn’t be late. Arriving at the school wasn’t fun. Since You was extremely popular in school, rumors of her absence were still fresh. When she had arrived by the gates, there were several girls already asking her questions. “Y-You-senpai! I heard that you were sick, are you okay now?”, “You-san, are you okay? You were gone for quite a long amount of time,”. You sighed and reassured everyone she was okay. Even walking up the stairs and down the hallways were hard. However, once the first class was nearing, the hallways started to clear and You could finally walk in peace. You did breathing exercises before opening the door to her classroom. With one final breath, she slid open the door. As the door opened, several of her classmates looked over, first with sighs of relief, then with interested expressions. Their curiosity got the best of them and they all hurried over to You bombarding her with questions yet again. “Guys! Don’t crowd You-chan like that!” a voice came from behind the crowd. The crowd looked back and recognized who it was and suddenly dispersed. They did not want to incur the wrath of Takami Chika.

“You-chan, good morning!” Chika said. “Ohayousoro!” You responded. Then, the same girl You had seen at the hospital appeared behind Chika and walked forward. Riko bit her lip and hesitated to speak. “Good morning, Sakurauchi-san!” You said ecstatically. “G-Good morning… Y- Watanabe-san…” Riko said back. Chika laughed. “What are you guys doing acting so formal?” Chika teased. “Eh, what do you mean, Chika-chan?” You questioned while she tilted her head slightly to the left. “You-chan, you know exactly what I mean! Stop playing dumb!” Chika said while pouting. “C-Chika-chan, just ignore it and come with me…” Riko said while dragging Chika by her collar. “W-Wait! Riko-chan!” Chika protested as she was dragged away. “ _When were they so close?_ ” You wondered.

Classes were boring as usual and You took this opportunity to take a nap. She was suddenly awoken by sudden touch on her back. She lead her hand to the spot on her back and found a sticky note.

> _Meet me on the school rooftop after school._

You looked back and saw that the note was sent from Riko. You nodded and went back to sleep.

When You woke up, the bell for dismissal had finally rang and You stretched out her arms. You yawned and checked her phone. Her teammate from the swim team told You that swim practice had been cancelled. Strangely, Chika had also cancelled Aqours that day as well. You sighed and put her phone away. The rooftop it was.

As You walked up the stairs of Uranohoshi there was a sudden pain in her head. It seemed to hurt more every time she was closer to the rooftop. She stopped and took a breather. Then she continued her course. Again, there was a strange sense of nostalgia. Something like deja vu. There was something that was missing. Something that You just couldn’t remember. Why couldn’t she remember? In her frustration, she smacked the wall. The headache got worse and it felt like her brain would push out of her temples. However, You kept climbing the stairs until she got to the roof. With every step the headache was getting increasingly bad. But You kept persevering. Why was she going so far for a person she barely knew? Why didn’t You stop and rest? Who was this person? Who is Riko Sakurauchi? You was about to find out. As You took the final step, she pushed the door open. The girl with wine-red hair looked over. It was a melancholy look. It pained You’s heart to see. But why? Why did it? Why did everything seem so wrong to You? Then it hit You. A sudden rush of memories. It all breezed through You’s mind almost instantaneously, but it was as if she was reliving her life. There was a certain memory before she passed out.

 

It was a very exciting day for You Watanabe. It was a start of a new school year, meaning a fresh start for the swimmer. You sat in her classroom, silently waiting for the teacher. But You couldn’t help but sway back and forth in her desk and have her legs vibrating. Then a few minutes after, the teacher finally walked in. However, she walked in with someone else. You’s eyes widened. She was dazzling. Her wine-red hair followed her as she graciously walked across the classroom. She stopped and spun to meet the class. "Nice to meet you, I'm Riko Sakurauchi. I recently transferred here from Tokyo's Otonokizaka High School,”.

When You opened her eyes, she was met with a familiar wine-red haired girl’s face. You’s head was laying on top of the girl’s legs. Her eyelids were puffy and her eyes were wet, most likely from crying. The girl sniffed and wiped her tears. “I-I’m so glad you’re okay, You-chan… I-I was so scared…” the girl sobbed. You smiled. “Riko-chan… I’m sorry…” You whispered. “Eh-, for what?” Riko asked. “I’m sorry for forgetting…” You responded. Riko gasped. “Y-You-chan, you remember?” Riko asked anxiously. “Riko-chan… how could I ever forget you, the love of my life?” You teased. Riko blushed. “Y-You-chan…” Riko whispered. You took her hand and put it on Riko’s cheek. She used her thumb to wipe away any tears escaping her eyelids. “Riko-chan, I’m back,”.

 

After what seemed like hours, Riko stopped sobbing. You got up and dusted herself off. “So, Riko-chan, what did you want me here for?” You asked. “Oh- eh, I almost forgot!” Riko said. You giggled. “ _Just like I remember,_ ” You thought. Riko cleared her throat and walked towards You. “Y-You-chan…” Riko whispered. “W-Would y-you…” Riko started. There was a slight pause. “Would you like to be my girlfriend?” Riko quickly asked while bowing in a 90 degree angle. You chuckled. “Riko-chan… look up,” You whispered into Riko’s ear. Riko nodded and slowly lifted her head up. As Riko looked up, her lips were met with You’s. Riko was startled but didn’t resist. You took Riko’s hand and interlocked their fingers. Riko returned the gesture by putting some force into her own kiss. What felt like mere seconds were actually several minutes. They finally parted when they had run out breathe. “Riko-chan, that’s my answer,” You responded. Riko bit her lip and tried hard to not cry. “You-chan, I love you…” Riko said. “I love you too, Riko-chan,” You said back.

 

As they watched the sun set, their hands interlocked. They sat on the roof of their school, happily holding hands, waiting as the moon comes up. “You-chan, what do you like about me exactly?” Riko asked, breaking the silence. “How would anyone not fall for you?” You teased. “You-chan!” Riko protested, blushing. “I know~ you’re just so cute, you know that?” You continued. Riko playfully smacked You. “Ehe~ that’s what I love about you~” You said. Riko’s face only became redder. There was another moment of silence between them. “Riko-chan, what made you fall for me?” You asked. “Well… I don’t know. When I saw you… it was just love at first sight. I admired you. You were so cool and reliable. But getting to know you, you had your flaws as well. You showed your vulnerable side to us and that’s when I truly fell for you,” Riko responded. You’s eyes widened. “Wow, that’s really descriptive,” You said. Riko only blushed harder.

When the sun finally set, the two were walking towards the bus stop together, hands interlocked. Riko was going to You’s house to spend the night. When Riko arrived at You’s house, they both headed up towards her room and went out onto the balcony. You looked up at the moon. “The moon is pretty, isn’t it?” You commented. “You-chan, stop being so romantic…” Riko timidly said. You chuckled. “When you’re like that, I can’t help but tease you~” You responded. Riko took a deep breath and let out what was on her mind. “You-chan, why didn’t you confess to me earlier?” Riko asked. You looked at Riko and then looked at the floor. “B-Because… I thought you loved Chika-chan…” You said bashfully. Riko laughed. “No way… I value Chika-chan as a friend but… my feelings for you are something else… You-chan,” Riko responded. “Oh, you’re asking for it…” You said. Riko giggled again as she’s pulled by You. “You-chan… I love you,” Riko said. “Dummy, I love you more,” You responded as she pulls them into a passionate kiss. The moon illuminated the beautiful ocean surface. The bustling of cars and people disappeared into the night. The only thing left were two girls, madly in love.

Love is strange, don’t you think? How love truly knows no bounds. From self-sacrifice to obsession, there are different types of love. It all depends on the person. However, the love the two girls shared could genuinely be called “true love”. What started as small buds, bloomed into small petals, eventually into full fledged flowers. The little sentiments, grew into fragments, which then grew into actual feelings. Her love was so great that it was stifling her. Destroying her. But she would soon find out that she didn’t have to suffer. Her love would be returned.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and look forward to my other works!


End file.
